Gabriel Stoian
Gabriel Stoian
Biography
Gabriel Stoian, (he/his) visual artist, (b. 1985, Brăila), of Romanian ethnical background, has lived in Romania with current country of choice Germany. With a PhD in Visual Arts from the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca (2014), he has exhibited in galleries, museums and cultural institutions in Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig, Vienna, Krakow, Belgrade. Together with his wife, Andra Stoian, he founded and currently coordinates the New Now alternative art-space based in Frankfurt am Main. He lives and works in Frankfurt am Main.
Artistic disciplines:
Process
Associated with New Romanticism, Gabriel Stoian's also benefits from the dialogue with pictorial traditions particularly rich in symbolic figuration: the Dutch "Golden Age", that of German magical realism and, last but not least, the Byzantine one. Like dreams, Gabriel Stoian's compositions encode a state, a memory, a feeling. Unexpected dis-junctions, constellations of symbolic elements expand the meaning of a lived episode, of a certain experience, give it a vaguely unsettling air and project it into an essentially metaphysical reality. The tension full of potentialities that underlies the dream-nightmare polarity is the main expressive mark of a painting capable of depicting, with equal relevance, the poetry and the anxieties of everyday life.
Notable themes
Recurring themes in Gabriel Stoian's practice include depiction of unexpected objects that belong to the everyday life of the individual, ready-made objects and minimalist designs, an amalgam of accumulated information as a voyeur, enciphered in symbolic representations. His compositions unveil to the viewer as allegorical interpretations of beings. He blends meticulous, hyper-realistic detail with strange, dreamlike, or mysterious elements, specific to magical realist painters.
Works in collections and public recognition
- exhibited nationally and internationally, at biennales, museums, art galleries.
- works in art museums collections and private collections.
A selection of works were purchased by Art Museum Carol I, Brăila, Romania. With works in private collections, in Romania, Germany, Austria, Nederlands.
Selected exhibitions
1.Selected solo exhibitions
- 2025 - solo exhibition, BETWEEN DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES, Art Museum Carol I, Brăila, Romania[1]
- 2023 - solo exhibition, AGAINST ALL ODDS – Matca Art Space – Cluj – Napoca, Romania
- 2023 - solo exhibition, SAME TIME ANOTHER PLACE – Piana gallery, Kracow, Poland[2]
- 2022 - solo exhibition, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED – Funnel Contemporary gallery, Belgrade, RS
- 2022 - solo exhibition, THE LONELINESS OF THE CALIFORNIAN DESERT TURTLE – Rudolf Leeb Gallery, Viena, Austria[3]
- 2022 - solo exhibition, VISITING THE BACK OF MY HEAD – Cabinet44, Bucureşti, Romania
- 2022 - solo exhibition, ALL MY LETTERS IN THE RAIN – The Gimp Import Export, Berlin, Germany
- 2022 - solo exhibition, MM XX II – Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român, MNTRplus C, Bucureşti, Romania[4]
- 2021 - solo exhibition, LA PEAU DES ANIMAUX – Atelier Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany[5]
- 2020 - solo exhibition, DILEMMA – Atelier Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany[6]
- 2020 - solo exhibition, LES FABLES DE LA NUIT – Atelier 35, Bucureşti, Romania[7]
- 2020 - solo exhibition, AMONG STRANGERS – Basis project room, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2020 - solo exhibition, A WORLD TOO MUCH – Spazio Display, Parma, Italy
- 2019 - solo exhibition, INMEDIO NOCTIS VIAM SUAM LUX EXERIT – Sonneundsolche, Dusseldorfn, Germany
- 2019 - solo exhibition, DOPPIO – Coffee Alleey, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2019 - solo exhibition, THINGS CHANGE – Bistro 21, Leipzig, Germany
- 2019 - solo exhibition, CHINESE GREEN – ZWSBN, Karlsruhe, Germany
- 2018 - solo exhibition, DROPS AND OCEAN S TOO – NEW NOW OFF space, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2018 - solo exhibition, REGARDS FROM THE ARAL SEA – Camera Gallery, Centrul de Interes, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 2017 - solo exhibition, META – RAFT, Braşov, Romania
- 2016 - solo exhibition, A4 USED WITHOUT OBJECT – Rumänische Kulturinstitut Gllery, Berlin, Germany[8]
- 2016 - solo exhibition, WELCOME TO THE NEW NOW – NEW NOW Art Space, Frankfurt am Main, Germany[9]
- 2015 - solo exhibition, GLITTER, QUEENS AND OTHER FUTURE BEINGS – Atelier Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany[10]
- 2015 - solo exhibition, IKEA TEMPLE – Centrul Multimedia, Bucharest, Romania[11]
- 2015 - solo exhibition, AND GIVE US OUR DAILY VOYEURISM – Lateral ArtSpace, Fabrica de Pensule, Cluj-Napoca, Romania[12]
- 2014 - solo exhibition, ALL THOSE WHO PRAISE WORK ARE WRONG – ALERT studio (White Code), Bucureşti, Romania
2.Selected group exhibitions
- 2020 - group exhibition, SUMMIT – Sandwich Gallery, Bucureşti, Romania
- 2021 - two persons exhibition, COMING FROM AFAR – Galerie 5020, Salzburg, Austria[13]
- 2019 - two persons exhibition, INSIDE THE SUN – Ausstellungshalle A1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany[14]
- 2019 - group exhibition, THIS IS NOT A HARD DAY– Atelier 35, Bucureşti, Romania[15]
- 2019 - group exhibition, EAST SAPPHIRES – Ventoline Art Space, Brisbane, Australia[16]
- 2018 - two persons exhibition, TURPENTINE – NEW NOW Art Space, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2018 - group exhibition, EVERY ARTIST IS A CANNIBAL – NEW NOW Art Space, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2017 - group exhibition, PEOPLE BEFORE CLOUDS – NEW NOW Art Space, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2017 - group exhibition, BEING MOUNTAINS, BEING SEAS – Lateral Art Space, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 2017 - group exhibition, APOCALYPSE DES REALEN – Atelier Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2016 - group exhibition, RESURRECTED – Five Plus Art Gallery, Vienna, Austria[17]
- 2016 - group exhibition, BLURRING THE LINES – NEW NOW Art Space, Frankfurt am Main, Germany[18]
- 2016 - group exhibition, PRESENCE IN ABSENCE – Atelier 4, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 2016 - group exhibition, RESURRECTED – Urania Palace, Cluj-Napoca, Romania[19]
- 2015 - group exhibition, SHOW WHAT YOU WANT TO SHOW – Melkweg Expo Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2015 - group exhibition, VIDEOZOOM:ROMANIA – Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Rome, Italy[20]
- 2014 - group exhibition, MULTO POST FUTURUM – Very likely to happen in the future – ALERT, Vienna, Austria
3.Art biennales, museum retrospectives, comprehensive retrospective exhibitions, art fairs
- 2014: Biennale: 6th Bucharest International Biennial of Contemporary Art, Bucureşti, Romania[21]
- 2010: Biennale: 14th International Biennial Print Exhibition, Taiwan, RoC
- 2010: Biennale: 1st International Graphics Biennial, Szekler, Special award, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania
- 2009: Biennale: 6ème Biennale Internationale d’Estampe Contemporaine de Trois Rivières, Canada
- 2008: Biennale: 1st International Engraving Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey
Artistic Residencies, Art Researches, Collaborations, Art Projects
- 2013 - Nominated for award: STRABAG Art Award International, Vienna, Austria
- 2013 - Nominated for award: WALTER KOSCHATZKY, Art Award, Vienna, Austria
- 2013 - Artistic residency: „JARDIN D’EUROPE” – WASPSTUDIOS/ Working Art Space and Production, Bucureşti, Romania
- 2010-2011 - Artistic residency: „HÀBITAT ARTÍSTIC CASTELLÓ” – Centrul cultural din Castellón de la Plana, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
Selected works
Heavenfall, 120x80cm, oil on canvas, Gabriel Stoian 2026 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2026
Vanitas X, 40x40cm, oil on canvas, Gabriel Stoian 2026 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2026
The key to someones soul is their inner beauty, 120 x100cm, oil on canvas, Gabriel Stoian 2024 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2024
I am just a vessel, 135x100cm, oil on canvas, Gabriel Stoian 2025 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2025
Banii, viata sau mustata (Money, Life or the Mustache), 160x140cm, oil on canvas, Gabriel Stoian 2025 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2025
Exhibition views
Dilemma, View from show at AF gallery, Frankfurt, Gabriel Stoian 2020 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2020
Dilemma, View from show at AF gallery, Frankfurt, Gabriel Stoian 2020 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2020
Dilemma, View from show at AF gallery, Frankfurt, Gabriel Stoian 2020 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2020
Dilemma, View from show at AF gallery, Frankfurt, Gabriel Stoian 2020 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2020
Dilemma, View from show at AF gallery, Frankfurt, Gabriel Stoian 2020 - (c) Gabriel Stoian 2020
Publications
1.Published books
NA
2.Published articles in journals & magazines
NA
Curating activity (Artist as curator)
NA
Catalogues
NA
Press
- Propagarta online magazine, article[22]
- Empower artists online magazine[23]
- Art Index.ro platform[24]
- There art online magazine[25]
- Modernism online platform, article[26]
- TV BV Cultural show[27]
- Arta Magazine, article[28]
Gallery Representation
None
For further commercial and non-commercial inquiries, feel free to contact NPK
Social Media Links
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielstoian_studio/
- Website: https://gabrielstoian.com/
Hashtags
(artistic practices, currents, techniques, themes - applicable hashtags for this artist)
fascination with the everyday, figurative
internal view
magical realism, mystical narratives
painting
relational esthetics
symbolism
Compatible and inspirational artists:
The artist interest is in artists who address the theme of Magical Realism.
He would like to show works alongside the great masters of the Dutch golden era.
("I am simply fascinated by their oeuvre!" -artist note)
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/MuzeulBraileiCarolI/posts/expozi%C8%9Bia-de-pictur%C4%83-between-dreams-and-nightmares-a-artistului-gabriel-stoian-m/1218937573354901/
- ↑ https://pianagallery.com/Same-time-another-place-PL
- ↑ https://www.galerierudolfleeb.at/blogs/exhibitions/gabriel-stoian-the-loneliness-of-the-californian-desert-turtle?srsltid=AfmBOoox60VRk49jVRbyUqqiUyXVKvM9mj_3MwVn6J-sBeM8VybTvU69
- ↑ https://curatorial.ro/arta/primul-vernisaj-din-2022-la-mntrplusc-gabriel-stoian-experimenteaza-in-toate-mediile-vizuale/
- ↑ https://www.atelierfrankfurt.de/portfolio_page/ausstellung-gabriel-stoian/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CIfD45DlLIe/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/atlier35/posts/10158800354726772
- ↑ https://www.icr.ro/viena/expozitia-a4-used-without-object-gabriel-stoian-27956/de
- ↑ https://newnowartspace.com/about/
- ↑ https://thereart.ro/gabriel-stoian-frankfurt/
- ↑ https://www.feeder.ro/2015/10/15/ikea-temple/?amp
- ↑ https://lateralartspace.com/exhibitions/give-us-daily-voyeurism/
- ↑ https://www.creativeaustria.at/en/2021/07/07/gabriel-stoian-geokhan-erdogan-coming-from-afar-galerie-5020-salzburg/
- ↑ https://ausstellungshalle.info/archiv1920.htm
- ↑ https://www.modernism.ro/2019/11/01/expozitia-this-is-not-a-hard-day-atelier-35-bucuresti/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=364565794197393&set=a.223457876678150
- ↑ https://www.modernism.ro/2016/11/08/resurrected-five-plus-art-gallery-vienna/
- ↑ https://kuenstlerhaus-lauenburg.de/2024/06/25/blurring-the-lines-en/?lang=en
- ↑ https://www.modernism.ro/2016/03/07/expozitia-resurrected-palatul-urania-din-cluj/
- ↑ https://www.modernism.ro/2015/11/18/videozoom-romania-museo-di-roma-din-trastevere-sala-1-centrul-international-de-arta-contemporana/
- ↑ https://www.pavilionmagazine.org/p_1019/
- ↑ https://propagarta.ro/imagini-video/expozitia-lui-gabriel-stoian-de-la-mntrplusc/
- ↑ https://empowerartists.org/en/experiences/between-dreams-and-nightmares-the-first-painting-exhibition-in-the-hometown-of-artist-gabriel-stoian/
- ↑ https://www.artindex.ro/2012/12/04/stoian-gabriel/
- ↑ https://thereart.ro/gabriel-stoian-works/
- ↑ https://www.modernism.ro/2025/04/02/expozitie-de-pictura-gabriel-stoian-between-dreams-and-nightmares-galeria-gheorghe-naum-muzeul-brailei-carol-i/
- ↑ https://cultural.unitbv.ro/meta-gabriel-stoian/
- ↑ https://revistaarta.ro/en/minimal-and-subliminal/
